Frost Heated Christmas
by YamiHaruko
Summary: Love easily melts away the cold winter on this surprising Christmas Eve. R&R. All comments appreciated. Kinda late on posting. Oneshot Giftfic


A/N: Well, here's the next one. It's a Christmas oneshot of Gundam Seed. It's my Christmas gift to my very good friend, Shena. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas. (This came off the top of my head as I wrote it, so forgive me.)

Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam Seed, I would have actually seen all the episodes by now.

Frost Heated Christmas

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_Crack. _The soft hum of a crackling fire filled the air. Condensation formed against the large windows of the library, while the cold chill outside their frames caused frost to gather lightly at the corners. An occasional snowflake would fall against the window, and in a brief moment, sparkle serenely in the faint glow of the fire before melting against the warmth of the glass and trickling downward in a shining trail that would soon turn to ice later in the night.

Athrun sat alone in the large library that cold winter night. He had a book on his lap while his fingers encircled the roundness of a warm mug, heating his hands pleasantly, and a gentle steam could be seen rising into the air before vanishing without a trace. A soft blanket hung around his shoulders loosely and gathered beside him. The silence of the warm, inviting air was contradicting to the lonely feeling the abandoned library offered. Nevertheless, the young man enjoyed this type of silent loneliness and welcomed it greatly, for tranquil peace was a rare essential in the large Attha mansion.

A soft turn of a page was barely audible, yet the silent sound echoed through the comforting emptiness with vast confidence. Suddenly, the warmth of the fire was interrupted. Athrun glanced up, sensing the presence of another. That gentle smile showed itself from his stern features as he was greeted with a bright smile in return.

"I knew I'd find you here." She sat down beside him, taking part of the extra blanket to wrap around her shoulders comfortingly. Cagalli then leaned against her husband, her head resting on his broad shoulder before closing her eyes in contentment.

"Oh?" he asked, shutting his novel after marking his place and putting a protective arm around her, gently pulling her closer.

"Yup!" A cheerful smile. "You're always here, honey!" Cagalli nudged him slightly, putting a hand on the novel still in his lap. "You read all the time. You aren't so unpredictable anymore." With a poke on his nose, she leaned over across him, stealing his coffee from his hand and taking a few sips of her own. "Sorry I got in so late today. You should see all the papers piling up because of the holiday! My office is a mess!" Cagalli sighed exasperatedly, scratching her head through her unruly blond hair.

Athrun smirked at this. "I'll help you. Don't worry about it. I'm sure we both can handle everything." It was always like this. Cagalli would get behind in her paperwork and he would have to come in and help save the day – not that he minded it, however. He was use to it, and he couldn't help feeling a little amused when Cagalli began to spaz out, though he would make sure not to get on her bad side while she was in said stressed mood. There were consequences to that he already knew of well and very much hoped to avoid at all costs.

However, even though Cagalli was wild and energetic most of the time, occasionally her softer, calm side would emerge in the most sensual of ways. This is what he loved about her, that no matter how lively she was, there was always a part of her personality that presented her demeanor in an entirely different perspective. Though he loved her either way.

The silence carried on comfortably – anything unsaid was already understood. "Tomorrow's Christmas, Athrun. I hope the snow will stay. It'd be great to have a white Christmas, don't you think?" She laughed softly as she grinned up at him. Cagalli was always like this around the holiday, though Athrun was a little nervous himself. It was to be their first of many Christmas's together, so he wanted to make this one memorable.

"It's supposed to snow this tomorrow, Cags. Hopefully the weather report will hold true, and you'll get your wish." The blonde moved closer to him, bringing her slender arms up, wrapping them around his neck loosely.

"Yeah, maybe…" she trailed off sleepily.

It grew silent again. A howling wind could be heard from outside the frost-covered windows. It blew angrily and yet it only seemed like a façade of anger. No, in a way, the raging wind was only playing its role on this harsh night. In the morning it will have reverted back to an effortless, soft breeze, gently carrying drifting snowflakes to the ground. However, for now, the furious winds screamed in the night, howling a sad song to the sky. The storm had picked up immensely since Cagalli had joined him in front of the fire, and Athrun was relieved to know that she was at his side and not exposed to the violent winter storm that was surely to leave a fresh blanket of snow by sunrise.

The girl shifted slightly, laying her head down upon his lap. She reached for his warm hand and intertwined their fingers frivolously, that ever cheerful smile still firmly in place. Athrun placed his free hand tenderly on her head, running fingers through her soft hair in a fluid motion.

"Athrun?" her voice, soft and quite, broke the silence again.

It took a moment for him to register that she had addressed him. "Hm?"

"Let's go see Kira and Lacus tomorrow. I miss them."

Athrun nodded, running his hand down her arm and resting it on her hip. "It has been a while, hasn't it? How is Lacus's pregnancy coming along?"

At the mention of the topic, Cagalli giggled to herself. "Great! I just got a letter from her last week! She's due in January. I can't believe Kira's going to be a dad! It seems so weird."

"Kira will be a great Father, Cags."

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, he will, huh?" Cagalli squeezed his hand a little more. "But so would my Athrun, too, I think." She flipped onto her back, staring up at him from his lap. His hand rested on her stomach when she changed positions. Athrun blushed slightly, a soft tint forming on his cheeks. He was slightly surprised by the comment, but managed a slight smile nonetheless. "You think so, do you?"

"Yeah," she sighed softly, that smile never disappearing from its place on her pink lips. "And if not…you'd better learn fast." Cagalli sat up in his lap, looking into his confused, widened eyes. "Sweetie, I'm pregnant."

Silence quickly settled over the large room again, emerald eyes locking with amber. Athrun's breath caught in his throat, unsure what to say. "C-cagalli…" he finally staggered out after a few long moments. Outside the windows it seemed the violent storm had finally subsided, only leaving a few stray snowflakes to make that final descent down to earth until the sky was clear of dark clouds, and the stars slowly began to appear, shimmering in the late night sky.

Cagalli offered him a pleasant smile, slightly amused by Athrun's stunned expression. "So, I hope it's ok that we clean out the guest room beside ours to make a place for the baby."

Athrun was still in a mild shock. He wasn't entirely sure if he was dreaming or not – let alone thinking logically or rationally. They were going to have a child? He had always wondered about the notion, but never imagined it to happen so…quickly. The young coordinator took Cagalli into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Cags, I…" he tried to begin, but the words died in his mouth. She sat in his lap, returning the hug gently. "Heh. I know." The blond said, as if expecting this kind of reaction from her husband.

"When did you find out?" She released him slightly, suppressing a small laugh with her hand.

"Two days ago. I wanted to wait until tomorrow, but I couldn't keep it to myself any longer! Clara was with me. You were still at work when I found out." Cagalli explained, referring to their housekeeper.

Athrun thought back at the last few days when the realization hit him. "So that's why Clara kept staring at me and the walking off with a mysterious smile," he mused.

A chaste kiss met her lips though a moment later. She smiled, leaning into him, her arms tightening around his neck again. "I'm so happy about this, Cags," he smiled to her, a hand brushing back a few stray hairs and caressing her cheek softly. The girl smiled, leaning into his touch as her hand rested upon his own. "Merry Christmas, Athrun…" Cagalli trailed off, laying against his chest happily – his heartbeat a comforting lullaby. He smiled to himself, reflecting on their conversation. This Christmas was most definitely going to be more memorable than he first imagined.

_Crack_. Ice and frost alike gathered against the balmy windows, melting silently at first, but eventually growing cold enough after each time to form the beautiful creases and cracks of ice – the sound breaking the dawn's silence. The unique patterns played across the glass creating distinctive rivets that outlined the designs as the sun's morning rays sparkled the frosty art onto the maroon carpet.

"Merry Christmas, Cagalli."


End file.
